Connecter for electrical appliances



Jan. 17, 1933. I H. J. BAUM- CONNEGTER FOR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES Filed Jan. 13, 1931 i STATES PATENT OFFICE HENRY a, mum, on CLARION, rows FDR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES Application'filed January 13,, 1931. Serial No. 508,543.

The subject-matter of the present invention relates generallyto electrically heated appliances and the improvements are directed to novel and unique means for making electrical connection with a heating element of said appliances.

Primarily, the object of the invention resides in, theprovision of means whereby an electric current may beconveyed to a heating element in a manner to permit oi manipulating said appliance without twisting, or

otherwise straining, the conductor cord;

Another object is to provide means whereby current supplying conductors may be readily attached or detached from a heating element forming a part of an electrically heated appliance, such as a curling iron or the like.

' Still another object of the invention is to provide means in the form of contact members carried by the ends oi a conductor cord and adapted to be maintained in spaced insulated relation with each other when assembled for connection to the insulated terminals of a heating element.

i A still .turther object resides in the provision or" means, including separable members,'

adapted to maintain said contact members in spaced and insulated relation to each other.

Another feature of the invention'is to provide novel contact members embodying: spring meansfor assuring a constantelectrical connection between said members and the insulated terminals of a heating element.

Still another aim resides in the provision of a device of the above-mentionedcharacter which comprises but a few simple parts, and which is sturdy inconstruction, eilicient in m operation, and capable of giving long and satisfactory service.

With these objects in view, together with others which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the novel formation;combination and arrangement of parts, all as will be described more fully hereinatter, illustrated in the drawing, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

lln said drawing:

Figure l is an elevation; partly in section of an electric curling iron equipped with my invention.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of one end of a typical heating element about to be inserted within a pairof contact members forming the terminals of an electric conductor wire, one part of a split insulated casing be removed to expose said contact members,

Fig. 3 is an elevation of one of the insulated split members forming said casing.

Fig. l is an end elevation, slightly enlarged, of said casing wherein its split members are shown in assembled position and maintained therein Fig. 5 is a sectional view, slightly enlarged, and taken on the plane of the line 55 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 isa central sectional view of a slightly modified form of contact member,

Fig. 7 is a sectional view thereof and taken on the line 77 of Fig. 26.

Referring now more in detail to the accompanying drawing, wherein like characters of reference denote similar parts throughout the several views, let 5 indicate the handle por- 7 tion out a curling iron, said handle being provided with an axial bore 6 for the reception of one end of the casing'i', the latter inclosing the usual heating element ordinarily comprisin a coil of resistance wires, (not shown% a The other essential parts of an electric curling iron will be readily recognized by those skilled in this art, said parts c0mprising the j aw member 8, adapted to beoperated in the usual manner by a thumb-pressed lever 9, pivqtally supported by the member 10, as clearly shown in Fig, l. The heating element, borne by the casing 7, comprises a coil of wire having its ends connected in the usual manner to terminals 11 and 12 separated by the insulation l3, as shown in Fig. 2. It will, of course be understood that while the drawing shows an electric curling iron, such disclosure is illustrativd rather than restrictive, as the device about to be described is adapted to be connected to many forms of electrically heated appliances which embody an incased heating element having insulated terminals, like unto l1 and 12, shown in Fig. It will I further be observed upon inspection of Fig.

1 that said casing? and theterminals 11 and 12 are insertible within said bore 6 and adapted to be maintained in this position by means of screw 14 passing through said handle 5.

Uponinspection of Fig. 2, it will be noted 7 that the electric current conductor 15 includes wires16 and 17 connected to the'annular contact, members 18 and 19 respectively, the ends of said wires being preferably soldered to .said members as indicated at 20 in Figs. 5

and 6. It is obvious that it is only necessary to maintain said contact members in spaced and insulated relation to assure an electrical .eonnection between said members and the terminals 11 and 12, when said terminals are inserted within said contact members and in the assembled relation shown in Fig. 1.

The means for maintaining the aforementioned spacing of said contact members comprlses a caslng, formed from insulated ma terial, and including parts, or halves, 21 and 22, said parts, when united, defining a bore 23 and spaced recesses 24 and 25, said recesses being adapted to receive said contact members..18 and 19 respectively, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5. After said contact members have been aifixed to said wires 16 and 17, the conductor 15 is placed in the bore 23a of the part 21, said contact members being reposed in recesses 24 and 25, whereupon the other part 22 is applied and both of said parts maintained in the position shown by applying a sleeve 26 over the reduced portions 27 of 'said parts 21 and'22, as shownin Figs. 1 and 4. In view ofthis arrangement said contact members are arranged in spaced and insulated relation and when the terminals 11 and 12 engage said contact members, the heating element of the-appliance is electrically connected. Upon inspec'- tion of Fig. 1, it will be seen that the assem-' bled casing'is in'sertible within said bore 6 of the handle15 and this position is main-.- tained by a cap 28 suitably secured to said handle, as indicatedat 29. Said cap 28 is provided with a central aperture 30 which engages the reduced portion 27a, of said casing, and thus the device isfirmly mounted in position, but subject to removal by 'operating the cap 28.

From the foregoing it is obvious that the connection between the contact members and the terminals of the heating element is such that the former members may rotate over the terminals as the implement is used, thuapreventing twisting of the conductor wires, so common in ordinary connections. When the terminals 11 and 12 are inserted within the contact members, the insulation 13 is, of course, between said members, thus assuring the proper connection of the respective parts. i

In Figs. 6 and 7 I have illustrated a slightly modified form of contact member, which has been adopted to positively preclude the likelihood of occasional shorts between the plain contact" members and the terminals 11 and 12 when the implement is twisted during its manipulations. In this form, it will be noted that the marginal portion of the. contact member is recessed at 31 which opens I into the bore 32, a leaf spring 33 being affixed..,within the recess and positioned in a manner to frictionally engage a terminal and assure a tight, yet removable, connection therewith. The bottom wall of the recess may be drilled, as indicated at 34, and the end ofthe spring wed ed in place as shown.- However, if desired, a small opening may be drilled in one side of the contact member to terminate on the outside thereof, whereupon the spring may be inserted and theopening filled with solder from the lower side. In this way neither the solder or the spring can loosen.

The two contact members 18 and 19 are firmly held in place whenthe two parts of" The device is practically to without departing from the spirit of the invention as'defined in the appended claim. I claim: v In a device of the character described, the combination with a handle having an axial bore, and a connecter mounted in'said bore and having insulated terminals, a two-part insulated casing rotatably mounted in said axial bore and having a plurality of bores and'spaced recesses and presenting a plur'ality of reduced portions, annular contact members mounted in said recesses'and adapted to be electrically connected tosaid ter-.

minals, conducting wires seated in the smaller bore of said casing andconnected to said contact members, a sleeve embracing,

the largerreduced portion of .saidcasing binding the parts of said casing together to maintain the contact members in spaced andinsulated relation and clamping said conductor wires in'the smaller bore of said casing, and an apertured cap fitting over the) smaller reduced portion of said casing and being affixed to said handle to position said' casing within the axial bore of said handle.

In testimony whereof I aflixmy signature.-

HENRY J. BAUM. 

